Our Travel Style

Any of our trips/cruises can be designed around you, designed around your requirements, and never tied to the set itinerary of a group.

4 Days Chongqing Essence Tour with Yangtze Cruise

Chongqing / Yangtze Cruise / Yichang

Tour Code:

YRC-CQ-04

Departure:

You Choose!

Service:

Private tour guide & driver + Private car/van

Trip overview:

Chongqing is called "mountain city" by the local and is the departure city for many of the Yangtze Rivers cruise ships but it also has much to offer. This tour combines some of China's most spectacular scenery, cultural treasures and historical sites with the spectacular Yangtze Cruise in 4 days.

Price from:

request

1. This price is based on a group (2 to 5 travelers) accommodated in 3-star hotel in
lower seasons.

2. This price is subject to change according your group members and traveling time. Usually
more travelers, lower the price; higher price in high seasons, lower in low seasons.

Sampling Itinerary Day by Day

Day 1 Chongqing (L)

Welcome to
Chongqing, the Mountain City of China! Upon arrival, the local guide will
meet you at Chongqing Jiangbei Airport or train station and escort you to
downtown area for today’s sightseeing.

First drive to Chongqing Zoo which has more than 240
species of animals and over 4,200 in total. In the Panda House, you can have a memorable time and close contact with the
lovely giant pandas and red pandas. Besides, you can see the rare South China
tiger and white tiger, the Asian elephant and more animals.

Next will be an
interesting visit to the thousand-year-old Ciqikou
Ancient Town, a famous business harbor in ancient time. Reputed as “Little
Chongqing”, Ciqikou is a heaven-like place where you can leisurely wander along
the bustling old streets with Ming and Qing architectures standing by, visit
the featured shops, taste delicate local snacks, or enjoy a cup of at the old
teahouse.

Later drive about 13km from Ciqikou to Three Gorges Museum which sits opposite
to People’s Assembly Hall. Entering into this large and modern museum, you’ll
have a deep understanding about the geography of Yangtze River, the changes of
Three Gorges and the world-famous project Three Gorges Dam; know the history of
ancient Ba and Yu, as well as learn about every aspect of Chongqing City in 20th
century.

Then drive to the “The First Corridor across Yangtze River”
to experience the 1166-meter-long Yangtze River Cableway to have a panoramic
view of the mountain city and Yangtze River. (Please note: it’s recommended to take
Yangtze River cableway in a clear day.) Before the night falls, head to Hongya Cave to end your today’s Chongqing
tour. You’ll find yourselves in a world of stilted buildings with old streets
lined with featured souvenir stores, elaborate specialty shops and spectacular collection
of restaurants ranging from western food to Japanese cuisine to various Chinese
favorites. If time permits, enjoy the stunning night view of Hongya Cave at sunset.

In the late afternoon, you’ll be transferred to Chongqing Chaotianmen Port to board
your ship during 18:00~21:00. Your 4-day relaxing downstream Yangtze River
cruise will sail at 21:00!

Tips for boarding: 1) Please call the ship one day ahead or at least in the morning on
the boarding day to have clear idea about which pier you are going to use; 2)
There are 13 sub-pier of Chongqing Chaotianmen Port that tell the exact pier to
your driver to avoid too much walking; 3) The boarding time and departure piers
may change based on the ship line, water level, season, weather and other
factors. Please pay attention to the important info your travel consultants
sent to you before your boarding.

Day 2 Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)

In this morning, wake up leisurely and
enjoy the gentle sunshine shining over the tranquil Yangtze River. You can
either follow the Taichi master to play Taichi on the sundeck or enjoy a cup of
coffee to stretch your mood to start your beautiful day. It will be colorful
and interesting no matter you stay onboard or go shore excursions at river
stops.

Onboard you will enjoy different kinds of cultural
activities and entertainment, like attending a Yangtze River History and
Culture Lecture to know deeply about the third longest river in the world,
taking part in the Captain’s Welcome Party to make new friends, or having great
fun at the wonderful evening shows with sing, dance and music.

Also, you will follow a local
English-speaking tour guide and make a shore excursion to Shibaozhai Pagoda, a pearl of Yangtze River in Zhongxian County.
Reputed as one of the eight extraordinary architectures in the world, this
12-story, 16th century red wooden pagoda leans against the side of
the rocky and craggy hill about 200 meters tall. Climbing up to the top of
Shibaozhai, you can not only visit the Buddhist temples and halls but also have
panoramic view of Yangtze River. (Please note: Comfortable shoes are highly
recommended since there will be many stairs to climb up the pagoda.)

Optional excursion: Have a shore excursion to
Fengdu Ghost City today with an extra fee. Called “the Homeland of Divine
Comedy in China”, it consists of buildings, structures, dioramas and statues
related to the afterlife in hell. Entering this “City of Ghosts”, you will know
many mysterious stories about underworld and cruel tortures and different kinds
of devils and Chinese demons. (Please note: the visit to Fengdu Ghost City
requires much walking and comfortable shoes highly recommended!)

Day 3 Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)

Today you will sail through the spectacular Three Gorges! Follow the guide’s live interpretation and soak up
the breathtaking gorge scenery passing by as you drift through Qutang Gorge, Wu
Gorge and Xiling Gorge respectively.

On this day, take an enjoyable shore excursion to Shennv Stream (Goddess Stream), a
tributary of the Yangtze River in Wushan County. You will be switched to a
smaller boat to sail down this primitive stream running in a narrow side gorge
where you will have close-up views of steep mountains and hanging coffins high
on the cliffs as well as hear some of the local history. Besides, you will be
entertained with local music and dance offered by the Tujia ethnic group.

In this evening, enjoy the well-prepared Captain’s Farewell Party
with all your mates onboard and have a pleasant dinner together.

Optional excursion: Enjoy a shore excursion to White Emperor City today with an extra
fee. Located at the entrance of Qutang Gorge, this excursions gives you the
chance to know Romance of the Three Kingdoms and offers the best pot to
appreciate the magnificent “Kui Gate”.

Day 4 Yangtze Cruise to Yichang & Yichang Departure (B)

After
breakfast, you will go through a check procedure and disembark at Maoping Port.
Then, take a morning shore excursion to
visit the world-famous project - Three
Gorges Dam. The dam is the largest hydropower station in the world with an
annual energy output of 84.7 billion kilowatt-hours. The Three Gorges Dam
includes three areas: the dam itself, a hydroelectric, and a system of locks.
The height of the Three Gorges Dam is 185 meters (607 ft) above the sea level.
The dam is about 2,300 meters (7,546 ft) long and about 115 meters (377 ft)
wide. With a water capacity of 39.3 billion cubic meters, the dam will hold a
huge reservoir which will efficiently prevent flooding in the middle and lower
portions of the Yangtze River.

After
the dam visiting, get on the coach arranged by the cruise company to Yichang
downtown area. The local guide and driver will pick you up and escort you to
Yichang Airport / train station for your flight or train to next destination.

Tips
& Note: Travelers who are interested in Three Gorges Dam Ship
Lift will first switch to a sightseeing boat to sail through the Ship Lift and
then visit Three Gorges Dam Site. After the dam visiting, you will be directly
escorted to Yichang downtown for departure.

Departure Ideas: You can take flights from
Yichang Sanxia Airport to Shanghai,
Xian, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou, etc. Or you can take high speed trains
from Yichang East Railway Station to
Wuhan (about 2hrs), Shanghai (about 8hrs), Beijing (about 7.5hrs), Hangzhou (about
7.5hrs), Chengdu (about 7hrs), Guangzhou (about 7hrs) and more cities.

Recommended Add-on Options

+ 3 more days to explore the capital city of China - Beijing

Get into the imperial capital city whose
story goes back at least 3000 years.

Beijing’s opulent royal palaces, temples
and magnificent walls and gates make it the first tourist destination in China.
A wealth of history, both ancient (Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer
Palace) and more recent (Tiananmen Square, Bird’s Nest & Water Cube) will
inspire your imagination. A visit to the Great Wall, the longest manmade structure in
the world, is absolutely essential.

+ 2 more days to explore the Ancient of Heart - Xian

Explore the glorious past in the ancient
capital of China for 13 dynasties!

With a history of over 3000 years, Xian is
the birthplace of Chinese civilization and capital of most important dynasties
in early Chinese history. It is known as the eastern terminus of the famed Silk
Road and home to the Terracotta Army along with many other historical sites,
like Ancient City Wall, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and so on.

+ 2 more days to visit the largest metropolis in China - Shanghai

Experience the past, present and future of
China all at once!

The
Huangpu River splits Shanghai into two districts: Pudong and Puxi. The Pudong
skyline with stunning tall buildings like Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World
Financial Center and Oriental Pearl TV Tower gives you a flourishing scene of
modern Shanghai. On the Puxi side, walk along the Bund to get a taste of old
Shanghai. What a huge contrast!

Quotation Includes:

Entrance fees of the scenic spots as listed in the itinerary.

Meals as specified in the itinerary.(Exceptions: If the western breakfast is
not available in some of the hotels, breakfast would be either Chinese breakfast or Chinese
and western breakfast.)

Hotels: Hotel Based on two persons sharing one room with twin beds or a king
size bed; All hotels as listed in the above itinerary serve daily western or Chinese
breakfast; Please note double bed room is on request basis which is subject to Hotel's
availability and re-confirmation upon check-in.
Service, room facilities and breakfast might be not up to standard in some remote
areas.

Transportation: Flights or train as listed in the itinerary.

Sightseeing As listed in the Itinerary will be escorted with English-speaking
guide;

Service of local guide and van is for a maximum of 8 hours during the full day
individual tour packages.

* Please note that our English-speaking guide and driver provided for you in each city or
area will not fly with you from one city to another.

Private Transfers between airports, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing
in each city or area by private air-conditioned vehicle with driver and English-speaking
guide as listed in the itinerary.

Service Charge (the planning, handling, operational and communication charges)
& Government Taxes.

Luggage Transfers between airports, trains and hotels.

Price excludes:

Flights (Economy class) not as listed in the itinerary.

Accommodation not as listed in the itinerary.

Visa Fees: Please make sure that you have got your valid passport and visa before your entry to China. We can send you a
free official invitation letter to assist you in obtaining your visa after the reservation
deposit is received.

Read what other travelers think about this
China trip / Yangtze cruise trip. We only accept reviews from actual, confirmed
travelers who purchased the tour / activity from us, so you can be sure the reviews are unbiased
and authentic.

Hello Jack.

We were very happy on the century emerald. The staff was very helpful and friendly. The land tours where perfectly organized and interesting. Only the visit in the 3 gorges project was insufficient. Bad weather ( not yours) and missing the most interesting point ( the technik and the view from the low point of the wall.) We would however recommend the tour with you to our friends.

Communication was excellent from the very start of planning the itinerary to the end of the tour. Email communication was very quick and easy to get an accurate response to my questions.

2. How’s the service of the tour guides during your whole tour?

All guides and drivers were excellent. All guides met were waiting for us at the airport and train stations, to pick us up to go back to the hotel, or straight to see the sites. Tour guides were flexible and understanding.

3. Would you like to recommend our company?

I would definitely recommend this company to family and friends looking for a pampered relaxing holiday whilst still being able to see, learn and experience the local culture.